SWOT-Analysis of Halle 14 in the Cotton Spinning ... - Central Europe

Description of recent socio-demographic, industrial, economic, spatial and cultural trends
3.3 Spatical structures and trends
The compact city of Leipzig is characterised by extensive fin-de-siècle building stock as well as large green spaces
and other leisure areas. Numerous rivers, streams and canals flow through the city, which is also surrounded by a
large number of lakes (including artificial lakes made by flooding opencast mine pits).
At the time of German reunification, much of the historical building stock in Leipzig as well as public spaces and
underground utility networks were in an appalling condition. For example, in 1990, just 24% of the building stock had
been refurbished, the remainder being unrefurbished. Thanks to lucrative tax breaks and financial incentives, the
further dilapidation of the building stock was prevented in good time and a refurbishment and modernisation boom
broke out. Capital investors from western Germany became the driving force of the local construction and property
market. Nevertheless, long-term success proved elusive. In the late 1990s, Leipzig’s property market was on the
brink of collapse in response to additional population decline, continuing suburbanisation and surplus housing. However,
thanks to a paradigm shift in the city’s urban regeneration policy, the local authority was able to counteract this
negative development. This prompted in particular the introduction of more controlled urban renewal, i.e. sustainable
development in small stages and the implementation of the Neue Gründerzeit overall programme. Since then, urban
development has been on the right track. Much of the housing stock has now been refurbished (2000: 74% of the
building stock refurbished, 26% unrefurbished), public areas have in many cases been improved, and the technical
infrastructure has been modernised.
The basic spatial structure of the city offers very good conditions for the development of creative milieus. They include
not only the spatial density and the very mixed structure but above all available premises at low rents in areas
previously used by industry, making it easy to start creative businesses. The existing creative milieus predominate in
three main areas:
1) The ‘culturally sedate city centre’ with its artistic and cultural institutions known far and wide (high culture),
which has gained charisma and symbolic force.
2) The ‘established south’ (the Südvorstadt and Connewitz districts), which harbours a specific independent
scene, partly thanks to large numbers of students.
3) The ‘experimental west’ (Plagwitz and Lindenau), which is currently being conquered by pioneers and
creative spirits and provides attractive housing and working possibilities.
The Leipzig Cotton Spinning Mill containing Hall 14 is situated in the third creative milieu and is examined in more
detail in Section 6.
3.4 Cultural structures and trends
The paramount aim of cultural policy is to establish the hallmark of cultural variety. The main elements of Leipzig’s
cultural life and image are:
• City of the Peaceful Revolution; active recollection of autumn 1989
• City of higher education; city of music; city of exhibitions and trade shows; city of publishing
Although Leipzig’s cultural development plan is currently being revised, it can be assumed that these core aims will
not be changed.
Leipzig has the second-highest per capita expenditure on culture (about €223.51) in Germany, eclipsed only by
Frankfurt am Main. This can largely be attributed to the wealth of local authority institutions (Gewandhaus, Leipzig
Opera House, etc). In 2010, the City of Leipzig’s cultural budget totalled around €116 million.
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